As friends and family from around the globe gathered in Wellington to celebrate graduation, one happy group couldn’t be missed.
Joyce Siao Chien Tay arrived in Wellington in 2010 from Malaysia to study accounting and finance. She was sponsored by Malaysian oil and gas company Petronas, and travelled to Wellington to complete her Bachelor of Commerce and Administration at the Victoria Business School.
Before she returned to Malaysia to begin a job with Petronas and continue her professional accountancy studies, Joyce’s proud family travelled to New Zealand to see her graduate.
Joyce says they bought the distinctive Kiwi t-shirts, which are a similar colour to the graduation hood worn by Commerce graduands, at a souvenir shop in Queenstown during an 11-day holiday around the South Island before the ceremony.
“My father suggested my family wear the t-shirts to show their support. It turned out it was also a good idea to wear the same colour at the parade because it was easier for me to recognise them and to stick together easily!”
Joyce says her family began planning for the trip from the first day she left for New Zealand, and brought the little bears for her eye-catching bouquet over from Malaysia too.
More than 1,000 students graduated in Victoria’s three end-of-year graduation ceremonies. A total of 1,166 qualifications were awarded, including 57 PhDs.